


Life on Earth

by HelenaWrites



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Daddy Issues, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Infinity What?, Interior Decorating, M/M, Nobody is Dead, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Walks On The Beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 06:21:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15768381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelenaWrites/pseuds/HelenaWrites
Summary: Once Loki had mocked his brother for fancing himself in love with a mortal after merely three days of knowing each other. The idea that such strong emotions could bloom between two strangers in that small amout of time had seemed ludicrous to him. Yet he had feelings for En, and they didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.Or, the one where Loki and the Grandmaster move in together and start a new life on Earth. Because, uh, we deserve nice things.





	Life on Earth

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys, I'm HelenaKey! As I said in my tumblr a while back I've been having some problems with my old account so I created a new one to post my works. All my old fincs are still posted, thought, so luckily I didn't loose them :)
> 
> In case it's confusing for you, this story is based on a tumblr post that said that in an earlier script of Thor Ragnarok, the Grandmaster managed to escape alive from the revolution by hiding in the spaceship Loki stole. So that's how he ended up on Earth with his lil trickster (^^)
> 
> This might probably have a continuation. I originally intended for it to be longer, but right now I'm on a trip and writing is kinda hard for me, so I figured it was better to post what I have for now and see about the other parts later. This was surprisingly hard for me to write, if I'm honest. I teared up a little when I finally finished, that's how frustrated I was, haha.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like the story. And remember! Kudos and comments make a writer's day!

Settling down on Earth had not been easy for Loki.

During his last visit to the land of Men, he had caused enough trouble to not be welcomed back for a few good centuries, at the very least. Midgard's protectors were certainly no more fond of him than they had been in the months following the Battle of New York. They had nowhere else to go, though. Their resources were scarce, and they didn't have many allies to turn to in their time of need. Earth was the only choice they had, and Loki wouldn't have asked his fellow Asgardians to renounce to it on his account. Instead, he accepted his fate, and in the first weeks after their arrival he came to peaces with the fact that the only possible prospects for his near future were either escaping or facing imprisonment. Those had been the only two constants in his life during the past seven years, and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to feel too angry about it.

Loki was a pessimist by nature, and the sordity of recent events had left him feeling at loss as what to do with himself and with his future. He didn't know his place in this strange, new world he lived in. Asgard was gone, and so was the throne of blood he had coveted with such a mad passion. His father was dead, and the position of Crowned Prince no longer mattered to him, especially now that they were a landless people, with no power nor influence. There was nothing left for him to prove, if there was ever something to begin with.

This sense of purposelessness was very troubling for Loki. It was already difficult for him not to feel restless. The blanket of security that his staged death had placed around him had been rudely lifted, so any protection that he used to have had been lost. Nothing could stop old enemies from coming to him seeking retribution, and if that happenened Loki was certain that he would be on his own. After all, there was no one left but Thor, and his brother had proven to him during their encounter in Sakaar that he was done with him and his petty games of duplicity. They had reached a temporary truce, yet the slights they had both committed against each other were far from forgotten. He could tell that if someone in Midgard made a move against him, Thor would not lift a finger to defend him. He would, most probably, believe that he deserved the retaliation.

Luckily, though, help came from a different source.

After all the loses they had suffered in recent times, the citizens of Asgard weren't willing to let their Trickster God fade into oblivion so easily. Despite his strangenesses, Loki had been their prince and protector for centuries now, and for over four years he was a fine leader to them, if a bit eccentric. Moreover, it had been his timely intervention what had allowed their final escape, and most of them had enough sense to realize that without him they would all have perished under Hela's bloody reign. Asgardians were known to be brutish and unkind. However, even they knew about gratefulness, and their culture bounded them to look out for their own in dire circumstances. Loki was no exception.

Their message for the authorities was clear. They wouldn't settle in this planet nor in any other, if their Second Prince could not do so with them. Bruce Banner, to both his and his brother's surprise, also spoke on his favor. Such demands were frowned at, of course, but ultimately they couldn't be ignored. 

Under certain restrictions, Loki was allowed to remain in Midgardian lands. Unless he engaged on violent behaviors or put someone else's life at risk, no one had the right to put him behind bars. He would have liked to say that he had played a key part in this final solution, but the truth is that for once, he simply seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Practicality had always been the SHIELD's priority, and after been forced to deal with such a threat as the Mad Titan was, Loki guessed they were more interested in gaining protectors than in making enemies. He had come across as a rather fickle creature during his first encounter with the Avengers, so he also suspected they had agreed so easily because they didn't think he would be able to stick to their agreement.

Proving them wrong, he thought, would be quite satisfying. 

"You know, you seem to be a quite, eh, a quite popular figure around here." The Grandmaster pointed out one night, while Loki put to test his talents as a manicurist with him. He had settled for a navy blue this time, since the cerulean he usually favored was proving to be hard to find. "They all get these, humn, these funny faces when they see you coming. This deer caught in the headlights type of thing."

"Do they, now? I hadn't noticed." Loki murmured, frowning as he realized that the distraction had made him spill some nail polish on the Grandmaster's fingers. He pulled a cotton swab from the nightstand and tried to remove the blue spot carefully. En Dwi arched his eyebrows at him, seeming unimpressed by his attempt at dodging the question. He was exceptionally good at telling whenever Loki didn't want to speak about something, yet nowhere near prudish enough to leave the matter alone when he did.

"I might or might not have made a foolish attempt at enslaving their species, last time I was here." Loki admitted, not looking up from the Grandmaster's half-finished manicure. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't keep some bitterness from slipping into his words. "I've been told that is considered quite rude, in some places."

"Yeah, that's an, uhhh, that's an understatement, right there." En Dwi said, not seeming overly concerned by the confession as he quietly inspected his nails. In all honesty, Loki hadn't expected him to. The Grandmaster wasn't the type to bother himself with the all the warring going on across the universe. Games were his one and only interest, and everything else was perceived by him as incidental. Many times he had wondered whether this attitude towards life was a proof of denseness, or actually something akin to wisdom.

"I'm curious, though. Why didn't you want me to know? I mean, I hate to break the news for you, darling, but I _was_ a dictator. World conquering is not exactly, ugh... not exactly a foreign concept to me."

"I know it isn't. I'm not ashamed of my past actions on this Realm, if that is what you are suggesting." Loki assured him, bending his lover's wrist to one side to get a better view of what he was doing. It gladdened him to realize that he was not quite as awful at painting nails as he had been in the past. En Dwi and his unsteady pulse had given him a lot of opportunities to practice. "To know that I failed, though..." Loki trailed off, not sure how he was meant to finish that sentence. For the first time since the conversation began, he dared to raise his head to look at the Grandmaster in the eye. He didn't know why he expected to find some type of disapproval there. Some sign that this past failure had made him seem somehow lesser. Instead, however, he found amusement, and something that could have almost been described as sympathy.

"Awww, darling, that's nothing to be ashamed about." The Grandmaster said, taking his hand in what he supposed was meant to be a comforting gesture. "It was only your first try. You just gotta, uh, gotta try harder next time. You'll conquer a planet, someday, and it'll be ten- ten times prettier than this one."

"Thank you, that is... kind of you to say." Loki said, not at all sure how he was supposed to react to this strange, mollycodling attitude. "Honestly, though, I'd rather just stay here for the time been. I've only gotten myself out of a rather messy intergalactic conflict, and I'm not looking forward to get involved in another anytime soon."

Loki realized with a start how much he actually meant those words. For the moment, he did wish to remain on Midgard. Once his freedom was ensured, he quickly figured that the best place for him to stay was among his people. While he was not Asgardian by birth he had lived all his life in the Golden Realm, and now that it was gone he didn't wish to distance himself from what little was left of his culture. Despite their differences, he also didn't wish to distance himself from his brother. They were still bitter about the past, and by now enough bad blood lay between them for Loki to consider that perhaps they would never truly forgive each other. Thor was the only family he had left, thought. He guessed that if there was ever a reason for them to work through their differences, it had to be this one.

Only something had worried Loki while taking his final decision. The Grandmaster didn't share the filial bonds that urged him to remain on Midgard, and he feared he would not be so easily swayed by the hospitality that humans were showing to the other refugees. He was a capricious man, and life in this little blue planet would be a far cry from the luxurius existence he had lead back in Sakaar. En Dwi was nothing, if not resourceful. While his subjects and power were lost, Loki didn't think it would be too hard for him to rebuild his Empire somewhere else. Settling down on Midgard, however, meant renouncing to that possibility. It meant bowing his head and playing by someone else's rules, and Loki didn't know whether he was worth such a blow to the Grandmaster's personal pride. Despite the affinition they both seemed to feel towards one another, they had meet only a few weeks ago.

Once Loki had mocked his brother for fancing himself in love with a mortal after merely three days of knowing each other. The idea that such strong emotions could bloom between two strangers in that small amout of time had seemed ludicrous to him. Yet he had feelings for En. Since their very first meeting, he had felt an inevitable attraction towards him, and their following encounters seemed to have cemented his initial infatuation into something stronger. In a time in which Loki had been left alone in a hostile land, with no friends nor allies, the Grandmaster had offered him quarters and protection. His favors hadn't been for free, but in his experience, favors rarely were, and in their time together En Dwi had been nothing if not kind towards him. They were lovers, but they had also been friends.

The Grandmaster was a cruel leader and a most fearsome adversary, and Loki was self-conscious enough to know that at the beginning he had merely been attracted by his power. It wasn't the first time he found himself involved with an older man, thought, so he guessed he could also blame it on En Dwi simply being his type. Experience and some level of authority were also traits that most of his previous partners had shared. Loki couldn't deny that there had been something more between them than mere attraction, thought. From the beginning there was an easiness to their interactions that he had rarely experimented with his own family, let alone with strangers. They shared stories and laughed together. They spoke about magic and books they had read, and once or twice En had taught him to recreate spells of his own making. They could spend hours talking, and yet silences were never awkward between them. Leaning forwards to press a kiss to En Dwi's cheek, or holding him while he laid down on his bed after having sex, was as natural to Loki as the hum of his seidr or the weight of a dagger on his hand. A few weeks had been enough for him to feel that way.

Fortunately, it seemed that it was enough for the Grandmaster as well. That night, when Loki finally mustered the courage to ask him what were his plans and where he intended to go, En Dwi had laughed as thought he had made the most ridiculous question. 

"But where, hum, where would I go, silly?" He said, giving him that lopsided smile that had the power to make Loki's knees grow weak. "You're, eh, right here. No need to go anywhere else."

He grabbed his lover's hand then, joining their spread out palms. Loki stared at them for a moment, and then back at the easy smile unfolding on the Grandmaster's face. He felt something swelling inside him, warm and soft, and he knew how dangerous it was to let a man like this one provoke such feelings him. En Dwi could say the same thing about him though, and yet here they were. It was too late to back away now. Loki wasn't sure he would have, even if he had been able to.

 

* * *

 

They moved to a cabin on the outskirts of Oslo, in a quiet neighborhood with a view of the atlantic sea. It was an hour drive from the colony that had been seetled for the rest of the refugees, so that Loki would be avaible if he was needed, but far enough to give them some semblance of privacy.

In the night before departing, Thor offered a feast on his honor to bid him goodbye. It was small and humble, given their circumstances, but the message it was trying to convey didn't went lost on Loki. He would be missed, despite everything, and welcomed back, if he wished to return. Thor had seemed troubled by his decision, though. When the time came to say farewell, he shook his hand with an unknown emotion gleaming in his stormy eye. Loki could tell that he still didn't trust him enterily. Perhaps he thought this was the time he left to never come back. Thor smiled at him, nonetheless, and pulled him in for a short, awkward hug. About the man he had chosen to share his life with, he said nothing, and for that Loki was grateful. He knew his brother didn't approve. Of all the things that could get between them and their temporary truce, he didn't wish for it to be his love life.

Their first night in the cabin was not very comfortable. In the events that had stranded them on Earth they had both lost all of their posessions, and the few Midgardian silver Loki had managed to acquire since their arrival didn't do for much. They ordered take out, and slept in a dirty mattress that the former owner had left behind in the master bedroom. The house was old and the wood made eerie sounds that would have disgruntled lesser men. Loki knew of few things in Midgard that had the power to cause him any several damage, thought. The few that could, he suspected, could be taken down by the Grandmaster with the flick of a hand. The thought made him feel oddly safe, so despite being in unknown surroundings he allowed himself to lower his guard and lay down on the bed. Sleep wouldn't come, though.

A storm was raging outside, and both the low temperature and the rumbling sounds of thunder kept them awake until late in the night. The Grandmaster pulled out a book from the small library that had, luckily, also been left behind, and read it out loud for him when asked. Loki smiled fondly at his sloppy narration, often interrupted by En Dwi's flippant commentary and that barely there stutter he didn't seem to be completely aware of. _Wherever they might be they always remember that- that the past was a lie, that memory has no... return, that every, uh, spring gone by could never- never be recovered, and that the wildest and most thanecious... oh! Tenacious! Tenacious love was an... ephemeral truth. Wow, that took a- a really dark turn._ It was an odd, soothing mantra, and around 3:00 AM Loki felt it finally lulling him into a deep, much needed sleep.

During the morning, they investigated the cabin. It had two floors, and didn't seem to have been occupated in a while. Loki struggled not to glare at the stained walls and at the large spiderwebs hanging from the window frames. The amused smile unfolding on En Dwi's face, though, made him doubt of his success. There were two other guest rooms, and a small studio full of dusty tomes that he claimed as his own as soon as he saw it. The balcony was wide and it had a nice view of a somewhat secluded beach that could be reached through a dirt path in the backyard. There was an attic and a dinner hall as well. Some spring cleaning was in order, but luckily everything seemed to be in a fine state.

They spent the whole day scrobbing floors and throwing debris away. En Dwi was very much unhappy with this development, and Loki couldn't help but smile as he saw him avoiding any type of physical labor by completing all his tasks through the means of magic. He had been taught by his mother at an early age that sorcery was never to be employed in trivial endevours, unless one wants to risk faiting by exhaustion. The forbidden arts are to be respected, even by the most experienced wielders. This one, however, seemed to be just one of a long list of rules that simply did not apply to the Grandmaster. Loki felt that he ought to be annoyed, but the truth is the sight of lone brooms sweeping dust away on their own and garbage bags collecting themselves into the nearest dumbster was much too amusing for him to get angry.

During the afternoon, they started a fire on the beach. They brought snacks and a few covers they had acquired in a nearby store, and settled down beneath the shadow of the palms trees. Loki was amazed by the placidity of the ocean. It was nothing like the raging seas he used to admire from a far as a child, back in the Valaskalf Palace, impressed and yet frightened by the merciless push of the waves below. Here, the waters were calm and see through. The smells of the ocean were not acrid but salty and pleasant, and instead of causing him alarm, the sound of the billows breaking upon the shore calmed him. En Dwi was laying down besides him on the sand, head resting over his lap - humming a catchy melody Loki found familiar but couldn't recognize. They were both unusually quiet. En had been wearing a blue flowery shirt and short khaki pants. From his collar were hanging a pair of brown sunglasses. Loki still found it odd, to see him in such garments. A part of him missed the sparkling gold and red robes he ha favored during their time in Sakaar, along with the blue eyeliner and the soft leather sandals. Loki, too, had been forced to give up on his colors if he wished to walk freely among civilians. He had been quite incensed about it. Now, however, he couldn't help but see it as a rather unimportant detail.

"You know, there's something about you today." En Dwi said, sounding thoughtful. His eyes were half-closed, and his breathing was soft and paused, as thought he were about to fall asleep.

"Is it?" Loki answered, not quite knowing what he meant. He was staring at the sunset and not at En - passing his fingers through soft, silvery hair without seeming enterily aware of the action. The Grandmaster made a sound of contentment and pressed his face further into Loki's lap.

"Yeah, sure. It's- it's the exercise, you know? Moving stuff around, not being lazy. It's got you all flushed and, and glowing. You're, uh, you're positively glowing."

"Why, Grandmaster, are you flirting with me?" He asked, a teasing smile unfolding on his face. 

"Depends. Is it working?" En Dwi wiggled his eyebrows at him, offering a sultry smirk that would have made any maiden blush in indignation. Loki answered with his most judgamental stare. Still, he could feel the laughter building up in his chest, and wasted no time to lean down and kiss him to muffle the betraying sound. 

They had not much to do, during the following days. Loki was set to make an upgrade in their living arrangements, so in the second morning he reached out with his mind to take hold of a SHIELD Agent. He was not proud about it. If they were to stay on Earth, thought, they needed some sort of guide, and of all the people he had crossed paths with in this Realm, he could think of no one who would take the job willingly. His abbilities for telepathy were nowhere near as invasive as they used to be, now that the Grandmaster had taught him how to soften the edges of the casting, so Loki guessed he could find some comfort in that. As fulfilling as it had been to test the extent of his new powers on him, he now saw the way he had fragtured Clint Barton's mind as an unsotisphicated procedure, and wasn't looking forward to repeat it in anyone else.

Casting the spell was far from difficult, and Agent Derek turned out to be a most useful asset. He patiently guided Loki through their link on the steps to follow to hire basic services, and by the end of the week they had running water, electricity and underfloor heating. He got them a refrigerator, a washing machine and a few lamps for the living room, and little by little the place started looking less grimm and bit more welcoming. Loki was pleased. Since he had grown up in a palace that had not been under the care of his family but rather that of servant's, he knew nothing about the perks of building a home from scratch. While he found it to be a bit stressful, it was also strangely rewarding. In different circumstances, he would have scowlded at the thought of wasting his energy in something as trivial as interior design, but with things as they were, he had not much else to occupy his time with. It was a calming activity, and an efficient way to keep his mind from wandering dangerous paths. 

Most of his time he spend it trying to entertain the Grandmaster, which was nowhere near as easy as it used to be, now that there were no parties nor championships to attend to. Now, they could only play and make bets. En Dwi was fond of chess, and he took his time to teach Loki every variation he knew of the game. While he usually came out the winner, there were exceptions, and Loki was almost ashamed to say how proud he was of these little victories. Not many people could brag about outsmarting an Elder of the Universe, and the few who could probably didn't live long enough to tell the tale. He was happy to know he had nothing to worry about in that regard, thought. Whenever he succeded at something that had been taught to him by the Grandmaster, Loki could see a gleam in the old man's eyes that spoke of enthusiasm, rather than displeasure. While he wouldn't call him a humble winner, when it came to him, En Dwi was not a poor looser. If he was in a good mood, and Loki did something that he found particularly stirring, he was also not above complimenting his young contender.

The first time he managed to beat him, En Dwi had been giddy with excitement, almost as thought the merit hadn't been Loki's but his. He was weird like that sometimes. There had been amusement and surprise in his laughter, yet his eyes shone with a much more quiet, softer emotion that for a moment made Loki's world spin. He was not unfamiliar to this expression. He had seen it many times - that mild frown, that barely there smile, that confidential glow softening old eyes. He knew it as well as he knew the palm of his own hand. Yet it had never been directed at him before - just to others. The sight cut him as thought it were a sharp blade, and yet filled him with a warm, soothing emotion he had only experienced a handful of times throughout his long life. It almost felt like cheating. All he had done was win a chess match.

Still, En Dwi was looking at him as thought he had done something marvelous. As thought he had done something worth been proud about. Loki didn't know how to react to that, so he decide not to. Instead he leaned forward, pressed his lips to the Grandmaster's, and asked him if he wished to play again.

 

* * *

 

That day they went to bed late at night, when the sky was already dark gray and the gulls outside were beginning to sing. They were in the middle of summer, and the heat was unbearable. Loki took a short shower and went to sleep wearing only briefs and a light t-shirt. The Grandmaster's body felt cold and welcoming besides him, and he wasted no time to wrap himself around it. Beneath his flushed skin, Loki's seidr hummed in relief, finally able to drop the cooling spells he needed to face the dry weather. With a flick of his hand he ordered the blinds to close, and they were engulfed by darkness.

En Dwi looked tired. His smile was hazy, and his soft brown eyes were half-lidded in sleep. They had been painting and moving furniture around in the living room since early in the morning, and all the activity seemed to have drained him. The skin of his neck was spotted with the electric blue they had decided on for the walls, and his fingers were covered in a bright yellow intended for corners and window frames. Loki didn't get to see this part of him often. En Dwi was always bouncing with energy, curious and exhilarated by everything around him. Now, though, he was calm and quiet. Loki noticed a stroke of blue crossing his right cheek, a little below his eye, and without thinking moved forward to kiss it. 

It didn't take long for them for both of them to fall asleep.

Loki woke up aroused and slightly dazed around seven thirty. He dimly registered a shallow breathing at the shell of his ear, and strong arms surrounding his torso, pulling him close. For a moment he tensed, forgetting where he was. Then he felt the soft, lingering kisses being pressed to the back of his neck, and a playful hand drawing circles just below his navel. En Dwi felt warm and familiar behind him, and Loki found it all too easy to press back against him. He guessed it didn't speak very highly of his self-restraint, that he found this type of early morning assaults exciting rather than annoying, but anticipation was already kicking in, and it was usually not easy for him to deny anything to the Grandmaster.

Loki rolled onto his stomach and allowed his lover to take him from behind, gasping as he felt sharp teeth sinking into the skin of his nape. The warning was clear. He willed his body to relax, minding not to move a single muscle. He heard a pleased hum behind him, and felt a hand moving downwards to caress the skin of his thighs. En Dwi had a curious way of combining both roughness and affection in his treatment of Loki during sex. He could be vicious and demanding, and yet sweet when it was required. He left his lover trembling and struggling for breath as he slowly fucked into him, murmuring soft encouragings at the shell of his ear as he hit time and time again that sweet spot deep inside him. Still he caged his member in a strong, unyielding grip, tainting every wave of pleasure with a hint of possessiveness and pain. It was exciting and overwhelming and Loki loved every second of it.

His orgasm was hard and marvelous, and the feeling of warm fluids slowly filling him up made him sign with satisfaction. It felt good, to be taken in this way. To open his legs for a man who cared for him, who wouldn't harm him even if he was given the chance, and still be able to lose himself in this peculiar thrill. They were both fond of games, and this was just one of the many they indulged in during their daily lives. Now that it was over, En Dwi turned Loki around and kissed him on the lips, careful and tender once again. Loki allowed him to, feeling giddy after his orgasm and in the need of some spoiling.

They didn't leave the bed until a couple of hours later. The Grandmaster was fond of sugary meals, and feeling particularly charitable, Loki made buns with custard and coconut for breakfast. They laid out the table in the balcony, and accompanied their pastries with freshly cut fruit and hot tea. The sun was already up in the sky. Besides him, Loki could feel the Grandmaster's seidr humming with content, and he had to smile because truly, it took far too little to make him happy. One would think that a creature that had been around for so long wouldn't be so easily moved by the simplest aspects of life, and yet he was. A dessert, good company and some love making was enough to make his day. It was almost ironic, because Loki didn't even have a quarter of his lover's age, and still when compared to him he knew little next to nothing about enjoying the small details.

"These are some mean buns you made here, sugar. I didn't know you were good with recipes." En Dwi said, happily biting into the soft bread. Delight showed on his face as he tasted the sweet, creamy center, and Loki had to look away to hide his own irrational joy. He was turning much too sensitive in the Grandmaster's company, and he wasn't sure he liked it. Having someone enjoying his Skillingsbollers shouldn't be a reason for him to feel so accomplished.

"I used to do my fair share of cooking, before." He admitted, taking his own pastries and spraying them with cinnamon. "Whenever I set on a quest with Thor and his brothers-in-arms, I'd cook for them day and night. I was the only one of the group who knew how, you see. Quite a tragedy, having in count there was a lady among us."

"Maybe, uh, maybe it just wasn't her thing." En Dwi said, looking like he wanted to laugh, and yet refraining to. He had heard about Thor's merry band a couple's of times before, and already seemed to be aware of the animosity that had tarnished their relationships with Loki, even when they were young. He had never spoken ill about them, for they were dead know and it would have felt wrong, yet somehow En Dwi was able to tell. No one could read him in the way the Grandmaster did, and that was scary sometimes because Loki wasn't used to being transparent, especially when it came to the people he loved. "You said you used to. Like, hum, like something in the past. Why is that?" 

Loki stayed silent for a moment, unsure whether he should answer with the truth. There was no reason to hide it, of course, but it was an old and perhaps childish story. Not the type he would usually tell to entertain. He was sure En Dwi would not find it very interesting. His lover seemed to be waiting for some explanation, though, so Loki forced himself to speak either way. "Because Asgardian warriors tend to be a stupid lot. Even though it was for them that I was cooking, it didn't changed the fact that I was engaging in an unmanly activity, meant for mothers and wives and not for grown men. They saw fit to mock me about it, although that didn't stop them from eating their shares." Loki was calm as he explained this, leaning forward to pour more tea into his cup with a practiced delicacy. He could feel the Grandmaster's eyes on him, and purposefully tried to ignore them. "One day I grew tired of it, and decided not to cook for anyone ever again. I enjoyed it yes, but I found it was not worth the mocking."

"You did it today, though." En Dwi pointed out, sparing their breakfast a glance before turning back to Loki. There was a question in his eyes. Loki fidgeted in his seat, unsure on how to explain himself.

"They are dead now, what is the point? I do not care for their cruel words anymore." He answered, feeling a tremor inside him at the admition. Sometimes it was still hard to believe that they were. "I do not wish for them to have the power to keep me from doing anything. Even something so small."

The Grandmaster stared at him for a while, a strange emotion gleaming in his starry, brown eyes. Loki immediately chided himself, wondering why he had made such a confession. It wasn't common for him to speak about the Warriors Three or the way his cruel jokes had affected him in the past him. For a long time, it had felt like an embarrassing secret. The kind of thing he needed to hide from the world at all costs. There was no judgement in En Dwi's eyes, though, but a much softer, quiet expression. The kind of look you would give to lost a puppy or to a kitten standing in the rain. He would have felt affronted by it, but then the Grandmaster was leaning forward and kissing him with cream stained lips, envolving Loki in that sweet, minty scent that seemed to follow him wherever he went, and suddenly stay angry at him felt like too hard a task.

When they finished their breakfast, they headed down to the beach. The Grandmaster wanted to explore the surroundings of the house, and Loki decided to indulge him with a little walk down the shoreline. Rather than been bored by it, as he had first predicted, En Dwi seemed impatient to know more about Earth and all the small curiosities it had to offer. While he wouldn't have said that his enthusiasm was contagious, Loki would have been lying if he said that he didn't find endearing the way En could get excited over such simple things. Everything called his attention. From crabs and gulls to colored glass and weirdly shaped rocks. He liked to live close to the sea, and Loki could understand why. Here the breeze was pleasant and cool. Breathing somehow felt easier, and he had to stop and wonder if that was because of the air in this planet, or because they were at the beach or for something else entirely.

They swam for a while. The waves weren't strong, so they could just drift on the lukewarm water without fearing the current might drag them away from the shore. Loki knew how handsome he looked in the blue bathing suit he was wearing, and pretended not to notice En Dwi's eyes on him as he lazily swam face up. The sun was bright and it felt warm against his naked skin. Lately he had been spending more time outside, and it showed because his usual paleness was slowly being replaced by an attractive suntan. His hair had also suffered changes. While it remained a strong black, every now and then he would catch the sight of a brown lock hiding among the dark ones when looking in the mirror. Loki didn't appreciate much this new style, and was already considering to dye it if it kept getting clearer. En Dwi seemed to like it, though. He said it brought some life to his hair. Naturally, that had only incensed Loki even more.

At some point, the Grandmaster noticed something on the sand just beside his feet and frowned as he bended over to pick it up. The water was more turbulent there, and Loki had a hard time trying to make out what he was seeing. They seemed to be close to some type of reef. En Dwi pulled his fist out of the water, and held it out to reveal a strange creature laying on his open palm. It was tiny and purple, and its little arms moved in a sloppy, amusing way as it tried to crawl across his fingers. "Now, aren't you an odd little thing?" En spoke in a whisper, as if fearing to scare it. He seemed to be quite enraptured by his discovery. This wasn't rare with him. He had an almost childish sense of wonder, and whenever he came across something that he found interesting, it was practically impossible for him to put his attention elsewhere. His curiosity had to be satisfied one way or another, and sometimes not even that would be enough to keep him away from his little fixations. Loki knew this from personal experience.

"It's pretty, isn't? Strange yes, but... pretty." He commented, staring at the creature and at its five trembling limbs. En nodded, and without warning reached out to place it on Loki's spread out palm. He struggled not to feel too put off. It was so tiny, he had the impression he would crush it by mistake. If felt soft and weird against his skin, like a thick carpet made of a thousand slippery threads. He couldn't tell where its head was - it didn't have a nose or eyes, and even its mouth and ears were missing. He wondered if it had a brain, or a heart. If it could hear or speak, or if it was sentient at all. He knew nothing about it. He could only tell that it looked alive, and that it was vulnerable and beautiful in ways he couldn't quite comprehend. His eyes watered, and he lowered his hand to return the alien critter back to its home beneath the sea surface.

"It didn't seem to appreciate to be out of the water." He told his lover as way of explanation. The Grandmaster nodded, understanding what he meant. The sun was setting already. Even there in the ocean Loki could feel the temperature beginning to descend. He shivered, putting his arms around himself.

"Wanna go back home now?" En Dwi asked, holding out his hand. Loki noticed that it was still covered by faint traces of bright yellow paint. He nodded, and took it without contemplation.

"Yeah, it's getting late already."


End file.
